The Pokémon X and Y release date is October 12, 2013. (Image: The Pokémon Company)

First up, Pokémon X and Y news. As a reminder, the Pokémon X and Y release date is October 12, 2013. Now, the basic cards are on the table: Fairy type is being added (totally called that one!). There are new kinds of battles. And the 3D gameplay looks as good or better than ever. The biggest question we don't know: how many new Pokémon will there be? The Pokémon Company is being extremely quiet about this one, for reasons unknown, but we've never gotten less than a hundred, and we've already seen a lot of new guys. With a new type and a new art style, I think we'll be okay.

Here's a big piece of Pokémon news that is Japan-only... for now. Their market is getting an exclusive Pokémon X and Y 3DS XL (called a 3DS LL in Japan), featuring Xerneas and Yveltal on the top. No pictures yet, but the 3DS LL was revealed during a special preview for Extreme Speed Genesect: Mewtwo Awakens. Considering the Animal Crossing 3DS XL made it over, maybe the Pokémon X and Y 3DS XL will as well.

In other Pokémon news, Pokémon X and Y news got a bright turn this week when The Pokémon Company announced a major crackdown on cheaters and hackers. It sounds like they're implementing protections so such cheating can damage your save. They will definitely disqualify you at tournaments, but that doesn't really affect all that many people. Chances are if you're cheating to get a Pokémon with better IVs and EVs, you'll be fine. If you're making a Geodude with Surf, you may run into trouble. And you're an idiot. Thankfully, IVs and EVs are expected to be easier to manage directly in X and Y - by which we mean you'll be able to see EVs directly. Freaking FINALLY.

The Pokémon National Championships are set for July 5 - July 7. The World Championships will take place in August. (Image: The Pokémon Company)

More Pokémon news: the Pokémon National Championships for the United States take place next week, from July 5 to July 7, in Indianapolis (oof). Like all live Pokémon tournaments, the event is open and free for everyone. Winners of the Regional Championships are competing for the gold, but everyone else can come and just have fun. The Pokémon TCG National Championship takes place there at the same time, if that's your style. Anyone who attends and brings their DS or 3DS also gets a free Metagross - one styled on last year's National Championship winner.

Also, the Pokémon X and Y anime is set to start soon! ... In Japan. The Pokémon X and Y release date occurs simultaneously worldwide on October 12. On October 17, the next season of the anime, which brings Satoshi/Ash to Kalos, is set to begin. This one is called Pocket Monsters XY (presumably Pokémon XY in the US) rather than something silly like, ahem, Best Wishes. If you're an anime fan, I'm sorry: there's no word on a US release date just yet.

In more minor Pokémon news: we'll get the next big infodump on Pokémon X and Y news sometime next month at a Japan-only event. We'll get even more in August at the first ever Pokémon Game Show, a trade show for the Pokémon franchise. Some new footage (above) shows the new Mewtwo Forme in action from the next movie. It looks like the new Forme isn't any friendlier than the first one, but is that really a surprise?

Flabébé isn't Pokémon news anymore, but is too cute not to include. (Image: The Pokémon Company)

The Pokémon X and Y release date is October 12, 2013 worldwide. All the cool people (like me) are going to get Pokémon X for sure, though. Yveltal is for dweebs.

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